Real Estate: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?
National picture across 16 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$46,206 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$46,206Median year-4 earnings
$8,169Average institution net-price context
$17,063Median federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$46,206Median reported earnings · year 4
$46,677Average reported earnings · year 5
$17,063Median federal debt
41thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
16Reporting programs
11With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,206
- Federal debt
- $17,063
- Reporting programs
- 16
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,473
- Federal debt
- $25,453
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,592
- Federal debt
- $21,126
- Reporting programs
- 28
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $147,770
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 15
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$41,042National median$46,20675th percentile$51,228
11 programs report year‑4 earnings.DECISION CHECK
What to compare before choosing a program
The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$100,9402University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee$69,8063Palm Beach State College$55,9784Columbus State Community College$51,2285Sinclair Community College$48,6436Modesto Junior College$46,2067Dallas College$44,3188Tarrant County College District$43,4189Ogden-Weber Technical College$41,04210Houston City College$27,929Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Appraisers and Assessors of Real EstateSOC 13-2023 · 1 crosswalk linksAppraisers of Personal and Business PropertySOC 13-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksProperty, Real Estate, and Community Association ManagersSOC 11-9141 · 1 crosswalk linksReal Estate BrokersSOC 41-9021 · 1 crosswalk linksReal Estate Sales AgentsSOC 41-9022 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | University Park, PA | $100,940 | $25,000 | Baseline needed | $32,875 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Milwaukee, WI | $69,806 | $24,637 | Baseline needed | $15,014 |
| 3 | Palm Beach State CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Lake Worth, FL | $55,978 | $17,349 | Baseline needed | $9,182 |
| 4 | Columbus State Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Columbus, OH | $51,228 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,400 |
| 5 | Sinclair Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Dayton, OH | $48,643 | $13,718 | Baseline needed | $5,992 |
| 6 | Modesto Junior CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Modesto, CA | $46,206 | Not available | Baseline needed | $2,818 |
| 7 | Dallas CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Dallas, TX | $44,318 | $17,063 | Baseline needed | $3,214 |
| 8 | Tarrant County College DistrictUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Fort Worth, TX | $43,418 | $15,003 | Baseline needed | $4,337 |
| 9 | Ogden-Weber Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Ogden, UT | $41,042 | $12,000 | Baseline needed | $3,229 |
| 10 | Houston City CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Houston, TX | $27,929 | $18,345 | Baseline needed | $5,737 |
| 11 | Cisco CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Cisco, TX | $27,735 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,624 |
| 12 | Florida State College at JacksonvilleUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Jacksonville, FL | Not available | $12,375 | Baseline needed | $4,128 |
| 13 | Delgado Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | New Orleans, LA | Not available | $27,744 | Baseline needed | $9,747 |
| 14 | Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Cincinnati, OH | Not available | $25,667 | Baseline needed | $4,968 |
| 15 | Austin Community College DistrictUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Austin, TX | Not available | $9,500 | Baseline needed | $6,390 |
| 16 | McLennan Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Waco, TX | Not available | $7,496 | Baseline needed | $5,051 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.